Reading The Times this morning I would say that Chris Huhne must be doing really well in the Lib Dem leadership contest – given the number of attacks on him.

There seems to be briefings against him. The briefings say that he had agreed not to run. I believed passionately that we needed him to run for the party to have a real choice, and I wasn’t the only one. Chris did the right thing – he went to Ming and said he had changed his mind and asked if Ming would release him from his earlier commitment. Ming is a gentleman – and basically let democracy flourish. And Chris has handled this really well I think – being open and honest and saying, yes – he changed his mind.

Whether Chris or Ming wins – they will at least know that they have a genuine mandate from the party for their leadership.

Evening – I go to a small stakeholder meeting on Hornsey Hospital – a long-running saga. Having met previously with Richard Sumray to demand a public meeting to update the situation – the public meeting is finally to be on 22 February. The plans are to deliver first rate local health services to the area – but there is a price to pay. Watch this space.

In the evening Chris (leadership) Huhne is on Question Time where he gives a storming performance – aided by an astoundingly bad one by the First Minister for Wales, Rhodri Morgan. The man is a liability. Chris was really good and seems to be growing stronger and better every performance.